Jaguars RB Fournette aims to salvage tough season

Houston Texans: Running back D’Onta Foreman was activated Tuesday and figures to further bolster a rushing attack that is tied for second in the NFL at 140.8 yards per game. Foreman has missed the past 12-plus months since tearing his Achilles tendon and was removed from the Physically Unable to Perform list on Tuesday. “The reason why we brought him up is that we feel like maybe eventually, whether it’s this week, next week, some week, he can help us win a game, so we felt like it was a good decision for our team,” coach Bill O’Brien said during a press conference. Foreman returned to practice on Nov. 14 and is eager to help out a team that has won nine straight games. “I practice day in and day out,” Foreman said. “I’ve been getting a lot of scout team reps, just trying to take advantage of my opportunities.”

Indianapolis Colts: Center Ryan Kelly (knee) has missed the past two games and figures to be doubtful to return this Sunday against the Texans. Kelly missed his seventh straight practice on Wednesday and did rehab work off to the side. Indianapolis coach Frank Reich said the plan is to be cautious with Kelly’s recovery. “He’s doing great and making progress,” Reich said. “We want to get him back as soon as we can but we still want to be smart about it.” Reich also is downplaying the game against Houston while outsiders refer to it as a must-win affair. “We don’t put ourselves in must-win situations,” Reich said. “We put ourselves in must-get-better situations. That’s been our mantra the whole year.”

Jacksonville Jaguars: Running back Leonard Fournette will be back for Thursday’s game against the Tennessee Titans after missing last week’s game against the Colts due to a one-game suspension for fighting. Fournette said it was difficult not being with his teammates. “It was tough, knowing what I could have done to help the team,” he told reporters. “It was tough.” It was been a rough second season for Fournette, who rushed for 1,040 yards and nine touchdowns as a rookie. He injured a hamstring in Week 1 and reinjured it again in Week 4 and has just 314 yards and four touchdowns on 90 carries. However, Fournette showed life by rushing for 95 yards in consecutive games prior to serving the suspension.

Tennessee Titans: Tennessee saved its playoff hopes by rallying from a 16-point hole against the New York Jets last Sunday and is certainly in must-win mode against the Jaguars. Jacksonville isn’t going back to the playoffs after reaching the AFC title game last season and the Titans don’t want to join them as a 2017 playoff team that misses the postseason this time around. “That’s something we can’t allow to happen,” Tennessee defensive end Jurrell Casey said. “We want to keep them where they’re at — at the end of the division and leave them there. We got to make sure we take care of our part. At the end of the day, we can’t worry about them. We have to worry about ourselves because we ain’t played so hot this year ourselves.”